Ridnour carries Bucks past Blazers in double-OT

He scored six of his 20 points in the second overtime and the
Milwaukee Bucks won their second straight game with a 108-101
victory over the injury-riddled Portland Trail Blazers on
Saturday night.

"He gave us a good life in the first overtime so we could get to
a second overtime," Skiles said of Ridnour. "He came in the game
and got a basket right away that settled us down."

LaMarcus Aldridge put the Trail Blazers up by six in the first
overtime when he scored six points on three consecutive
fast-break dunks while the Bucks looked lost.

Coach Scott Skiles pulled Michael Redd and inserted Ridnour, who
quickly hit a runner in the lane to stop the surge and break a 2
minute, 20 second scoring drought.

"I wanted to get Ridnour back in there. They ran right by us
three or four times to start the overtime, and we were having
trouble scoring. Luke's been knocking down shots, and playing
really well for us. In many ways, with Mike out, Luke's been our
best two-guard so I wanted to get him back in the game."

In the second overtime, Brandon Roy, who finished with 23
points, traded baskets with Ridnour on back-to-back possessions,
and after the teams traded misses, Roy drove the lane and was
fouled by Bogut. Roy made both free throws, but Brandon Jennings
hit a layup with 42.6 seconds left before Ridnour hit two free
throws to seal the victory.

"We were just trying to hold on to it," Aldridge said. "We knew
everybody was getting tired. They just made more plays and that
was the game."

Martell Webster added 16 points for the Trail Blazers, who
dressed just nine players because of injuries.

"I thought we had them at a point there, and they shook it off
and hit some great shots," said Blazers assistant coach Dean
Demopoulos, filling in for Nate McMillan as he recovers from
surgery. "It's a shame anybody had to lose that game, really."

Bogut scored a season-high 27 points, and Jennings added 18 for
the Bucks, who snapped a five-game skid against Portland dating
to Dec. 6, 2006.

The Bucks built a 13-point lead in the third quarter. Aldridge
scored eight straight points to give the Blazers an 83-82 lead
with 1:17 to go. Bogut hit a 5-footer to make it 85-82 before
Aldridge converted a three-point play with 33.5 seconds left.

On the next possession, Jennings hit a jumper to make it 87-85,
but Roy followed with a clutch basket to send the game to
overtime.

Jennings didn't take a shot in the first half, but came out
firing to wake up the Bucks.

Trailing 44-39, Bogut and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute each scored
before Jennings hit the first of his three 3s during an 28-8 run
that Bogut capped when he took a pass from Jennings and dropped
in for a 67-54 lead with 3:05 left. Portland went four minutes
without a basket during the stretch, being outscored 30-15 in
the third and trailing 69-59 heading into the fourth.

Jennings wore a brace on his left knee after hyperextending it
in the third quarter of Wednesday's victory over Toronto.

"I had a new knee brace on so it was a little different for me,"
he said. "I wasn't really comfortable at first. In the second
half, I just said forget it, let's play basketball."

The Trail Blazers' injured list grew by three this week.

Greg Oden, the top pick in the 2007 draft, had surgery on Dec. 6
to repair a left patella fracture and is out for the season. A
day later, head coach Nate McMillan underwent surgery on his
ruptured Achilles' tendon, and guard Rudy Fernandez had a
procedure to alleviate pain in his right leg.

NOTES: A moment of silence was observed for Wesley Pavalon, one
of the original founders and owner of the Bucks, who died
Saturday in West Bend, Wis. after succumbing to an illness. ...
Portland assistant Dean Demopoulos, the acting head coach during
the trip, said that McMillan will be back for Tuesday's game
against Sacramento. ... Portland slipped to 6-7 away from the
Rose Garden.